Briefly: Apple shoots secret commercial, hit with patent suit
Apple this week shot a commercial for an unreleased product; a Texas company alleges the iPhone maker infringed on its patents; and Microsoft files a trademark for its new retail logo.
Apple's secret commercial
Apple filmed a commercial Tuesday for a new, unreleased product in Truckee, Calif., at the restaurant Jax at the Tracks.
Because it is a secret upcoming product, Apple kept a tight lid on the production: No information or photographs were available, according to local paper the Sierra Sun. The restaurant's owner, Bud Haley, said the spot was picked by a location scout.
"Apple found us, they're trying to show us as a hip and cool spot for the 20-something crowd," he said.
Wi-Fi patent suit attacks Apple, Sony, Nintendo
A new lawsuit from Wi-Fi-centric company Bandspeed aims to prove that Apple has infringed on two of its patents. The company's Web site describes it as "the leader in next-generation Wi-Fi management."
Filed in a U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, the company alleges that Apple, along with Sony and Nintendo, violates its patents with regards to the ability of a device to select a Wi-Fi channel based on signal strength.
Bandspeed believes that the iPhone 3GS, Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 all infringe on their related patents, entitled "Approach for selecting communications channels based on performance," and "Approach for managing communications channels based on performance." The company is requesting that the court issue a permanent injunction against the three companies, and that Bandspeed be granted unspecified damages.
Microsoft retail logo trademarked
The possible logo for Microsoft's upcoming retail locations was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The Windows-maker plans to open retail locations starting this fall to compete with Apple's own offerings.
The square logo is a new take on Microsoft's traditional Windows logo. The patent filing states that Apple's rival to the north plans to use the logo for its "retail store services and online retail services."
Microsoft's first two brick-and-mortar locations are scheduled to open in Mission Viejo, Calif., and Scottsdale, Ariz., before the year is out. The California store will be in the same shopping plaza as an already-established Apple Retail store.
Apple's secret commercial
Apple filmed a commercial Tuesday for a new, unreleased product in Truckee, Calif., at the restaurant Jax at the Tracks.
Because it is a secret upcoming product, Apple kept a tight lid on the production: No information or photographs were available, according to local paper the Sierra Sun. The restaurant's owner, Bud Haley, said the spot was picked by a location scout.
"Apple found us, they're trying to show us as a hip and cool spot for the 20-something crowd," he said.
Wi-Fi patent suit attacks Apple, Sony, Nintendo
A new lawsuit from Wi-Fi-centric company Bandspeed aims to prove that Apple has infringed on two of its patents. The company's Web site describes it as "the leader in next-generation Wi-Fi management."
Filed in a U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, the company alleges that Apple, along with Sony and Nintendo, violates its patents with regards to the ability of a device to select a Wi-Fi channel based on signal strength.
Bandspeed believes that the iPhone 3GS, Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 all infringe on their related patents, entitled "Approach for selecting communications channels based on performance," and "Approach for managing communications channels based on performance." The company is requesting that the court issue a permanent injunction against the three companies, and that Bandspeed be granted unspecified damages.
Microsoft retail logo trademarked
The possible logo for Microsoft's upcoming retail locations was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The Windows-maker plans to open retail locations starting this fall to compete with Apple's own offerings.
The square logo is a new take on Microsoft's traditional Windows logo. The patent filing states that Apple's rival to the north plans to use the logo for its "retail store services and online retail services."
Microsoft's first two brick-and-mortar locations are scheduled to open in Mission Viejo, Calif., and Scottsdale, Ariz., before the year is out. The California store will be in the same shopping plaza as an already-established Apple Retail store.
Comments
That's a logo?
Yes, it looks odd, and unless you were told it's an MS logo, it would be meaningless.
MS can't brand or market. It's always been this way.
Of course having said that even if it's rubbish they would probably go ahead, what people think usually doesn't matter, look at the London 2012 olympics logo, ridiculed world wide and the government stilp pushed it ahead!
Yes, it looks odd, and unless you were told it's an MS logo, it would be meaningless.
MS can't brand or market. It's always been this way.
Really, are they TRYING to make their marketing more irrelevant than it already is?
That looks like something that belongs in an amateur art gallery, not something that is going to represent and easily identify a supposedly world-class brand.
Wi-Fi patent suit attacks Apple, Sony, Nintendo
A new lawsuit from Wi-Fi-centric company Bandspeed aims to prove that Apple has infringed on two of its patents. The company's Web site describes it as "the leader in next-generation Wi-Fi management."
Filed in a U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, the company alleges that Apple, along with Sony and Nintendo, violates its patents with regards to the ability of a device to select a Wi-Fi channel based on signal strength.
Bandspeed believes that the iPhone 3GS, Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 all infringe on their related patents, entitled "Approach for selecting communications channels based on performance," and "Approach for managing communications channels based on performance." The company is requesting that the court issue a permanent injunction against the three companies, and that Bandspeed be granted unspecified damages.
1. not a shock this was filed in Patent Land. one day they really need to make a law that you can only file in a district that one of the players is actually in. and stop this garbage of every patent case going to the East District of Texas (which will let anyone file a claim even if on toliet paper)
2. i want to see the patent filing and see that it details the exact method that these companies later used. and not just the idea of picking by strength. if it is just the latter, it should be tossed.
That represents Microsoft, a bunch of squares.
Priceless!
That represents Microsoft, a bunch of squares.
Where has good taste gone???
You mean it was there before?
Also reminds me of MS tendency to copy good ideas from apple!
It's really really shite, lol.
Of course having said that even if it's rubbish they would probably go ahead, what people think usually doesn't matter, look at the London 2012 olympics logo, ridiculed world wide and the government stilp pushed it ahead!
Wow, that is bad. I do graphic design work. And that looks like garbage.....
Really, are they TRYING to make their marketing more irrelevant than it already is?
That looks like something that belongs in an amateur art gallery, not something that is going to represent and easily identify a supposedly world-class brand.
.....as does the new MS logo for their stores. Are they really that short of... just anything requiring creativity.
did they make that logo with MS Paint?
In Windows 95?
did they make that logo with MS Paint?
In Windows 95?
I think they used MS DOS
That's a logo?
Yeah, it's not a good logo update. Most major companies at least try to adjust the logo just enough that it looks fresh but retains enough of the old that you still know what it means, I think that is the best. I don't know if they can really count on people seeing the color pattern and knowing what it means. Mind you, I'm not a graphic designer or artist type, but still, whether in spite of it or because of it, I just don't see it working.
Justin Long (I'm a Mac), and John Hodgman (I'm a PC) weren't on set, then it's fair to say that it wasn't a Mac ad. Come to think of it, I can't think of the last time Apple ran an ad for any of their products that took place in a real-world environment other than when the iPhone first launched. Maybe they weren't shooting for a tv spot, maybe it was for a promo video for the product launch?
Apple hasn't run a Mac ad in a while. And it doesn't mean they have to keep using that kind of ad. Ad campaign styles don't stick around forever.
Does the location they were shooting at have free wiFi. Is it a known wifi hotspot. Might tell us about the nature of the product they were shooting.
I don't think it would. What major product / line does Apple have that doesn't have WiFi? The non-touch iPods are the hold-outs, and I expect that to fade. I would not be surprised if even the nano gets WiFi, though I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't.